Frozen dessert compositions are known in the art. Frozen dessert compositions prepared in a traditional freezer/dispenser machine are introduced into the machine in the form of a mix. This mix is frozen to a semi-solid consistency and held in this condition until dispensed into cones or bowls to fill the consumer's order. When these desserts are dispensed, about 60% of the aqueous phase of the mix is frozen into ice. The ice that has formed exists as small crystals which do not grow to an undesirable size due to the relatively short duration in the dispenser and the constant scraping of a dasher on the freezing surface of the barrel in the freezer/dispenser. During freezing, air is incorporated into the semi-frozen mass to increase the volume of the original mix by about 30%. This expansion of volume is known as overrun.
Desserts prepared at the retail site use expensive freezer/dispenser equipment which requires not only substantial initial capital investment, but also extensive daily cleaning and maintenance. Daily cleaning of the equipment must be supported by skilled operators with sufficient facilities to disassemble the freezer and its dasher, clean and dry the numerous parts, and reassemble the freezer. High cost and maintenance requirements have thus relegated the availability of soft serve frozen desserts to specialty stores and fast food stores which have the capital and facilities to service the equipment.
Recently, dispensing machines such as one sold under the trade name "Supa Nova" by SaniServ, Indianapolis, Id., have been developed which dispense factory frozen desserts via compression of a disposable collapsible cartridge. The factory frozen dessert is "hard packed" at a central factory, hardened and distributed to consumers, ready-to-serve through frozen distribution channels. Such equipment reduces capital costs because it reduces refrigeration and simplifies the internal workings of the frozen dessert machine. Daily maintenance is reduced to cleaning of the dispensing nozzle which requires only a small sink or large bowl of cleaning solution. This system, with its simplicity as compared to machines required for the semi-solid mix forms of desserts, allows the sale of frozen desserts in outlets such as convenience stores or at salad bars in traditional restaurants.
One drawback to the collapsible cartridge system is in the sensory properties of the frozen dessert dispensed from collapsible cassettes. The "hard packed" frozen desserts needed to fill the collapsible cassettes are similar to standard ready-to-serve frozen desserts in that they are frozen in a central factory, hardened and delivered through a frozen distribution system used for ice cream. These "hard packed" desserts have about 90 to 100% of the aqueous phase in the form of ice. To prevent ice crystals from growing during frozen storage, high levels of stabilizing hydrocolloid are typically employed. These stabilizers increase the viscosity of the mix, which gives the product a desirable mouth coating effect. The lack of a liquid aqueous phase produces a somewhat dull surface appearance, rather than the sheen or wet appearance characteristic of soft serve frozen desserts.
The "hard packed" frozen desserts also differ from the soft serve desserts in that they tear or pull in a sticky mass resembling uncooked dough when spooned, unlike the soft serve products, which when cut leave a smooth, glossy surface.
The heaviness of the mouthfeel of the "hard packed" frozen desserts can be overcome to some extent by increasing the overrun to approximately 75% to 100%, thus diluting the concentration of mix in the finished product volume. Diluting the concentration produces a dessert which more closely resembles the melting, light body of soft serve frozen desserts, but often undesirably leads to a fluffy texture characteristic of a mousse or whipped topping. Accordingly, there is a need for a hard packed frozen dessert dispensable from a collapsible cartridge which possesses desirable sensory properties.